The Mane-iac
The Mane-iac is a female Earth Pony supervillain from Maretropolis who first appears in the season four episode Power Ponies. She is the archenemy of the comic book superhero team, the Power Ponies. She is called Mane-iac Mayhem in some merchandise. Development and design The Mane-iac appears to be inspired by the Joker of DC Comics, sharing his origin, green hair, purple clothing, and relative insanity. In addition, her powers are similar to those of Marvel Comics' Medusa and the way she "walks" with her mane is similar to how Doctor Octopus from the Spider-Man comics moves around with his robotic appendages. Her name is derived from the word "maniac." The Mane-iac's body design is similar to those of Princess Luna, Fleur Dis Lee, Princess Cadance, the Headless Horse, Tropical Dream, Sassy Saddles, S06E20 Unnamed Earth Mare #8, S06E20 Unnamed Earth Mare #9, and S06E20 Unnamed Earth Mare #10. She has a grayish blue coat and a mane of long green tendrils. Her eyes have two concentric pairs of irises, the outer being green and the inner red. History At the start of Power Ponies, Spike shows Twilight Sparkle a couple of pages of a Power Ponies comic book on which the Mane-iac is depicted. Spike refers to her as the Power Ponies' "most evil nemesis". Spike says that she used to be the power-mad owner of a hair-care product company until she accidentally fell into a vat of green liquid and was electrocuted by a downed power line. The accident gave her strange new powers—such as a prehensile, stretchable mane—and caused her to go insane. Another page shows the Mane-iac breaking into the Maretropolis Museum and stealing something called the Electro-Orb. When Spike and his friends are sucked into the comic book world of Maretropolis and become the Power Ponies, they witness the Mane-iac steal the Electro-Orb from the Maretropolis Museum. The Power Ponies confront her, but she watches in amusement as the Power Ponies struggle to use their newfound superpowers before leaving the scene with the orb. The Power Ponies track the Mane-iac to her headquarters at the abandoned shampoo factory and defeat her henchponies in a battle. However, the Mane-iac uses her "Hairspray Ray of Doom" on the Power Ponies, freezing the ponies in place and rendering their powers useless. She then takes the Power Ponies prisoner but leaves Spike/Hum Drum alone, considering it pointless to capture him. Inside the factory, the Mane-iac uses the Electro-Orb to power her doomsday device, which resembles a cross between a large pink blowdryer and a cannon. The Mane-iac says she will use the cannon to amplify the power of her mane by "one million times", expelling an energy blast that will cause everyone in Maretropolis's mane to grow wild. As she gives her victory speech to her followers, Spike traps some of her henchponies and helps in freeing his friends. Just before the Mane-iac can use her weapon on Fluttershy/Saddle Rager, a firefly enters her line of fire, and she swats it. This action angers Saddle Rager, transforming her into a powerful muscular pony. The Mane-iac fires her doomsday device at Saddle Rager, but the beam reflects off Saddle Rager and hits the Mane-iac instead. Saddle Rager destroys the doomsday device, and the Mane-iac's mane grows out of control, wrapping around her like a straitjacket. In The Point of No Return, The Summer Sun Setback, Dragon Dropped, and The Last Problem, the Mane-iac is featured on a Power Ponies comic book cover. Also in Dragon Dropped, Rarity dresses up in a Mane-iac costume for the Power Ponies convention "Power Ponypalooza". Personality The Mane-iac is shown to behave in an evil and unhinged manner, expressing delight at the prospect of oppressing Maretropolis. She sneers at the Power Ponies when they fumble with their newly acquired superpowers. The Mane-iac thinks very little of the Power Ponies' sidekick, Hum Drum, even deciding not to take him prisoner with the other heroes, as she believes him to be no threat to her plans whatsoever. She is also portrayed as sadistic and cruel, claiming that the Power Ponies only keep Hum Drum around because they feel sorry for him and calling him useless. Much like her name is a pun, she often uses puns when she speaks. Trivia *She is one of the few antagonists who worship and idolize the First Spinjitzu Master's archnemesis. *She is the leader of the Cultists of the Overlord. But after Mac defeated them, she began building a new army.